Evidence of meeting #133 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Colin Carrie  Oshawa, CPC
Matt Jeneroux  Edmonton Riverbend, CPC
Michael Keenan  Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Kelly Gillis  Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Communities, Office of Infrastructure of Canada
Bryce Phillips  Chief Executive Officer, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Jacques Fauteux  Director, Government and Community Relations, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
Sandra Martel  Interim Chief Executive Officer, The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.
Churence Rogers  Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, Lib.
Anuradha Marisetti  Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Mr. Jeneroux has moved a motion asking committee members to—

Noon

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Let's get a recorded vote on that, just for fun.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

—ask the officials to stay another hour.

(Motion negatived: nays 5; yeas 4)

There's—

Noon

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Madam Chair, this again shows the shutting down of committees in a way not wanting to hear from witnesses. We have 15 witnesses here today, and we've only received seven minutes of questioning time for the supplementary estimates.

Extending it an hour is hardly outside any sort of reasonable request. This again implicates not only you but the entire committee in continuing to cover up in terms of our being able to ask questions of this government and what's fast becoming a very questionable administration from the top down.

You didn't even ask if the witnesses were willing to stay for that extra hour, Madam Chair.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Thank you very much, Mr. Jeneroux.

I will thank all of our witnesses for—

Mr. Iacono.

Noon

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

I'd like to move a motion that we give them another half an hour, another round of questioning.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

I have to ask the witnesses if that works with schedules. It certainly doesn't work with—

Noon

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

I think we should proceed with asking the witnesses first. If they're okay with it, then we can put it to a vote. I think that would be the logical way to do it, to not just impose it on them.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Well, I didn't suggest that we were going to do that.

Mr. Badawey.

Noon

Liberal

Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON

Madam Chair, that would be fine. I respect the comments of Mr. Jeneroux and Mr. Iacono. The concern I have is that we have a lot of committee work to do in response to the committee work that we're embarking on, which, quite frankly, was recommended by both parties on the other side of the table. But half an hour...as long as you feel, Madam Chair, that we can get through that committee work that we have on our agenda.

I just want to remind committee members that we agreed upon this time frame.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Yes.

Noon

Liberal

Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON

However, if you need more time, that's fine: another half an hour, as long as in the last half hour we can get through this agreed-upon agenda with respect to the committee work we had planned on doing.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

We'll try.

Mr. Liepert.

Noon

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Can we just get something clarified? If the member is referring to the study on airport noise, I think if he checked the record, he would find that it was the Liberals who brought forward that motion.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Mr. Keenan, Ms. Gillis and Mr. Phillips, are any of the three of you available to stay for an additional half an hour? At this point, it would be 26 minutes.

Noon

Deputy Minister, Department of Transport

Michael Keenan

Madam Chair, I think we would adjust our schedule based on the will of the committee.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Okay.

Mr. Phillips?

All right. To our witnesses who can stay for an additional 26 minutes, thank you very much. We would appreciate that.

You had a minute left, then.

Noon

Conservative

Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK

Madam Chair, there's a motion.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

What was your motion? I'm sorry.

Noon

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

It was that we extend this by half an hour.

Noon

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Yes, and the witnesses agreed to it.

We'll vote on extending it for 26 minutes, which is what's remaining.

(Motion agreed to)

All right.

Mr. Jeneroux, you have 45 seconds left on your time.

Noon

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Thank you.

The last time you were here you were unable to tell the committee about the status of late penalties on the Champlain Bridge. In fact, your explanation was different from the minister's, but neither one of you really answered. Hopefully today we can actually receive a proper update.

Will the federal government be collecting the agreed-upon late penalties of $100,000 per day for the first seven days and $400,000 for each day after that, with a maximum of $150 million, yes or no?

Noon

Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Communities, Office of Infrastructure of Canada

Kelly Gillis

We remain in commercial discussions with the Champlain Bridge on the penalties and the consequences for the contract for the delays. As soon as those discussions are complete, or the other proceedings, whether we go to court after, are known, we will continue to be transparent on that.

12:05 p.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

The minister says yes, though.

12:05 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Communities, Office of Infrastructure of Canada

Kelly Gillis

The minister has said that there will be consequences—